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National Library Reference Guides

Chua Mia Tee

Explore the life and works of Chua Mia Tee, one of Singapore's leading realist painters and a Cultural Medallion recipient.

Last updated 22 July 2026

Chua Mia Tee

Chua Mia Tee (b. 25 November 1931, Shantou, Guangdong, China) is one of Singapore’s foremost realist painters. Born in Shantou, Guangdong province, China, in 1931, Chua was six years old when he came to Singapore in 1937. He was a student at Shuqun School and then Tuan Mong School. In 1947, he enrolled in Chung Cheng High School but left school midway to pursue a formal arts education at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA).1

At NAFA, he received training in drawing, sketching with watercolour and painting, both with oils on canvas and with Chinese ink and colours on paper. He was taught by the academy’s director Lim Hak Tai as well as artists Cheong Soo Pieng, Koh Tong Leong, and See Hiang To. He graduated from NAFA in 1952.2

While studying in NAFA, Chua was asked to teach part-time at the school, and he continued to teach as a fulltime staff after graduation.3 In 1954, Chua went back to Chung Cheng High School to complete his secondary education. Thereafter, he returned to NAFA to teach from 1956 to 1957.4

Between 1957 and 1974, Chua used his skills in the field of commercial art. The year 1974 was a watershed period for Chua. At the age of 43, he staged his maiden exhibition at the Rising Gallery on Telok Ayer Street. The exhibition was a success and this gave him the confidence to become a full-time artist.5

Chua draws his inspiration and subjects from the world around him. Having spent his boyhood in Chinatown and along the Singapore River, many of Chua’s early works depict the traditional landscapes and life in Singapore that were disappearing as a result of urban redevelopment. Several of Chua’s paintings like “Epic Poem of Malaya” (1955) and “National Language Class” (1959) also convey the heightened sense of political and social awareness prevalent in the 1950s and 1960s.6

Chua has also been called upon to paint illustrious personalities such as former Chief Justice Wee Chong Jin, Lim Chin Beng, and Wee Cho Yaw.7 His portrait of the late former President Yusof bin Ishak appears on Singapore portrait-series currency notes.8

Besides oil, Chua also uses other mediums such as acrylic, mixed media, watercolour, bronze and relief.9

In 2015, Chua was conferred the Cultural Medallion, a national honour that recognises his artistic contributions to Singapore.10 The National Gallery of Singapore’s inaugural exhibition, Siapa Nama Kamu?, takes its name from Chua Mia Tee’s iconic painting, “National Language Class”.11

Chua’s latest exhibition, titled Chua Mia Tee: Directing the Real, opens at the National Gallery of Singapore in November 2021, and focuses on his early practice from the 1950s to 1980s.

Books

A painting depicts a young girl in profile with her hair in braids. Text on the book cover reads "The Art of Chua Mia Tee: A Portrait of a Life's Work".

The art of Chua Mia Tee: a portrait of a life's work (opens in new tab). (2018). Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Editions. (Call no.: 759.95957 CAI)

Minimalist manila cover with title "Chua Mia Tee: clippings and exhibition brochures".

Chua Mia Tee: clippings and exhibition brochures (opens in new tab). (1970). 1 folder. (Call no.: RCLOS 759.95957 CHU)

A painted portrait of a man titled "CHUA MIA TEE 1988" is on the cover.

Cai, M.Z. (1988). Chua Mia Tee, 1988 (opens in new tab). Singapore: National Museum. (Call no.: RSING 759.95957074 CHU)

This book cover is titled "Lives of the Artists: A Singapore Story".

Tan, B., & Ng, S. (2015). Lives of the artists: A Singapore story: The Cultural Medallion and visual arts 1979–2015 (opens in new tab). Singapore: Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. (Call no.: 709.5957 TAN)

A lush, painterly forest scene with golden Chinese characters and English text overlays.

Cai, M.Z. (1986). Cai Mingzhi hua ji= Chua Mia Tee (opens in new tab). Singapore: Chua Mia Tee. (Call no.: RSING 759.95957 CMT)

Oil painting of Balinese dancers in traditional costume, holding fans and offerings.

Cai, M.Z. (1992). Cai ming zhi hua zhan xuan ji = Chua Mia Tee: a selection from the exhibition (opens in new tab). Singapore: Empress Place Museum Art Gallery. (Call no.: RSING 759.95957 CMT)

Book cover for "Art During the Emergency" exhibition, featuring text and illustrations.

From Words to pictures, art during the emergency (opens in new tab). (2007). Singapore: Singapore Art Museum. (Call no.: RSING 709.5957 FRO)

Articles

Huang, L.J. (2012, June 25). Painter of presidents and koi (opens in new tab). The Straits Times. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.

Sabapathy, K. (1985, September 13). The painted world according to Chua (opens in new tab). The Straits Times. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.

Sabapathy, T.K. (1988, March 9). Artist Chua digs deep into reality with oils (opens in new tab). The Straits Times. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.

Ngui, C. (1982, September 16). Chua’s cinematic art (opens in new tab). The Straits Times. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.

Jacobi, S. (1988, March 20). Artist who makes head lines (opens in new tab). The Straits Times. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.

Yap, F. (2000, September 2). A definitive S’pore artist (opens in new tab). Business Times. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.

Audiovisual materials

叶伟征. (Interviewer). (1997). Oral history interview with Chua Mia Tee (opens in new tab). 4 reels, in Chinese (Accession no. 001901). Singapore: National Archives of Singapore.

Ministry of National Development and National Museum of Singapore. (1988). Artist: Chua Mia Tee (opens in new tab). 1 videocassette (VHS, PAL).

Tong, K. (2020). A Frame in Time - S1E2: National Language Class (opens in new tab). CNA.

Websites

Omar, M. (2016). Chua Mia Tee (opens in new tab). Infopedia. Retrieved 2021, November 3.

Chua Mia Tee (opens in new tab). (2016, October 12). Esplanade Offstage. Retrieved 2021, November 11.

National Arts Council. (2015). [Cultural Medallion 2015: Chua Mia Tee](https://www.nac.gov.sg/naccorp/dam/jcr:a9bf6cf9-e39a-44d3-a17e-05803c7b447c/NAC_CMYAA_Book_(23cm x 28cm)_ChuaMiaTee.pdf). Retrieved 2021, November 11.

Ting, K. (2019). National Language Class, Chua Mia Tee, Singapore, 1959, oil on canvas (opens in new tab). Roots.gov.sg. Retrieved 2021, November 11.

The introduction is adapted from the Infopedia entry on Chua Mia Tee authored by Marsita Omar, available in full here (opens in new tab). This guide provides a selection of resources on the artist and is not meant to be exhaustive. You can also visit catalogue.nlb.gov.sg (opens in new tab) to search for more materials. This resource guide was prepared in November 2021 by Luke Chua, Senior Librarian at the National Library. The information in this resource guide is valid as at November 2021 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources.

All Rights Reserved. National Library Board Singapore 2021.

References

1 Cai, M. Z. (1988). Chua Mia Tee, 1988 (opens in new tab). Singapore: National Museum, [n.p.]. (Call no.: RSING 759.95957074 CHU)

2 Ibid.

3 Tan, B., & Ng, S. (2015). Lives of the artists: A Singapore story: The Cultural Medallion and visual arts 1979–2015 (opens in new tab). Singapore: Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, p. 359. (Call no.: RSING 709.5957 TAN)

4 Cai, M. Z. (1988). Chua Mia Tee, 1988 (opens in new tab). Singapore: National Museum, [n.p.]. (Call no.: RSING 759.95957074 CHU)

5 Autobiographies in art. (1991, 2nd Qtr.). Goodwood Journal (opens in new tab), 15. (Call no.: RSING 052 GHCGJ); Cai, M. Z. (1988).Chua Mia Tee, 1988 (opens in new tab). Singapore: National Museum, [n.p.]. (Call no.: RSING 759.95957074 CHU); Page 17 advertisements column 2 (opens in new tab). (1974, November 24). New Nation, p. 17. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.

6 Cai, M. Z. (1988). Chua Mia Tee, 1988 (opens in new tab). Singapore: National Museum, [n.p.]. (Call no.: RSING 759.95957074 CHU)

7 Autobiographies in art. (1991, 2nd Qtr.). Goodwood Journal (opens in new tab), 14. (Call no.: RSING 052 GHCGJ)

8 Low, K. T. (Ed.). (2006). Who’s who in Singapore 2006 (opens in new tab). Singapore: Who’s Who Pub., p. 117. (Call no.: RSING 920.05957 WHO)

9 Autobiographies in art. (1991, 2nd Qtr.). Goodwood Journal (opens in new tab), 27. (Call no.: RSING 052 GHCGJ)

10 Tan, B., Ng,S. (2015). Lives of the artists: A Singapore story: The Cultural Medallion and visual arts 1979–2015 (opens in new tab). Singapore: Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, p. 216. (Call no.: RSING 709.5957 TAN); Lee, R., Leong, W. K., & Martin, M. (2015, October 17). 4 awarded Cultural Medallion. Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved from Factiva via NLB’s eResources website:

11 Yusof, H. (2015, December 25). Singapore art in the global spotlight. The Business Times. Retrieved from Factiva via NLB’s eResources website: